


A Tale as old as Time

by ElectricPurple89



Category: The Magicians (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Beauty and the Beast AU, Eliot Waugh is a Beast, Idiots in Love, Im sorry they dont sing, Margo is a teapot, Multi, Quentin is trying, The Magicians AU Week, The Magicians Rec Center, This for Day 1: Disney/Animated
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-01
Updated: 2019-12-31
Packaged: 2020-10-04 18:43:16
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,191
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20475758
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElectricPurple89/pseuds/ElectricPurple89
Summary: "You should have been more hospitable to strangers my dear Margo and my young Prince." As the stranger spoke she transformed into the Witch of the Darkling Woods. "For since you both laughed in my face and I see no love in your hearts except for each other there will be a curse on you and all that live in this castle." Picking up the rose, she continued, "If you both can learn to love another as you love each other and they return your love before the last petal falls the curse will be broken. If not you will both remain as you will be."





	1. sometimes a strange old beggar woman is not a strange old beggar woman.

**Author's Note:**

> I love Beauty and the Beast and I really am loving writing this AU. I hope you like it. 
> 
> This is for Day 1 of The Magicians AU Week https://themagiciansreccenter.tumblr.com/post/187410420254/themagiciansreccenter-because-when-canon-says

Once upon a time, in a kingdom far far away, there lived a Prince and his Bambi who were the most extraordinary hosts in all of the land. The parties they threw for all of the other nobility were the talk of Fillory.

Prince Eliot’s father was a cruel and heartless man who became even more callous after Eliot’s mother had passed. Before, leaving Whitespire at the age of sixteen, Eliot used to hide from his father with Penny and Fen; the servant's children; in the kitchens. They would play hiding games together. One of his happiest memories was the day he saddled his favorite horse; Luna; and rode off into the horizon to explore Fillory.

It was during this exploration of the Kingdom that he met his soulmate; Margo. He'd stopped in at a tavern for food and rest when they met. She was in the middle of taking care of a wayward suitor and he'd tried to help. She didn’t need the help at all of course, so he just watched as she took care of the man herself. He offered to buy her dinner afterwards and she’d accepted. They talked until the sun came up and then continued their new friendship. There was something about her. He felt as if he'd known her his whole life.

For four years they traveled throughout all of Fillory together until one day when he’d received a letter. His father had passed and he must return home at once to rule. Margo became his trusted advisor and together they ruled from their thrones in Whitespire. They ruled together well and of course continued their parties except now they had a Castle to host them in. How could things go wrong he thought when Margo was at his side?

Prince Eliot was not a cruel man like his father, but where he was not heartless he was unconcerned to the problems of those in his governance. To pay for the extravagant parties that he loved to throw he made the villagers pay high taxes. The leader of the Royal Council; Tick; was no help either as he never brought the villagers’ concerns to the prince. While Margo and Eliot might have been selfish and oblivious to the needs of the people that lived under Whitespire’s rule they were not so with each other. For Eliot and Margo had a bond that it seemed only they could understand.

One dark and stormy night, Prince Eliot and Margo’s lives changed forever. Their party was particularly spectacular that night. The music was amazing. Eliot had gotten a wonderful singer from another Kingdom to perform. The dazzling dishes of food were expertly cooked by the Royal Chef Hoberman. Margo had a beautiful matching dress and suit made for them by the best seamstress in the land. Everyone was enjoying themselves immensely and the party lasted all through the storm. Prince Eliot wished this soiree could last another night. His wishes went unanswered though as a knock at the castle door pulled them from this reverie. Prince Eliot opened it to find a rather odd looking old beggar woman on the other side of it. He looked back at Margo with a look she knew all too well and so she came to stand beside him.

"My Prince the storm rages so harshly outside I wondered might I have a bit of shelter until the storm subsides?" the old beggar woman asked as she tried to come in from the rain. "As a token of my appreciation I offer you this rose." She held out a single red rose to them.

Prince Eliot and Margo instead of inviting the stranger into their castle to join in the festivities began laughing in her face, "A rose!?" they both hysterically replied. What could they honestly do with a rose?!

This was not the wisest decision they could have made because sometimes a strange old beggar woman is not a strange old beggar woman.

"You should have been more hospitable to strangers my dear Margo and my young Prince." As the stranger spoke she transformed into the Witch of the Darkling Woods. "For since you both laughed in my face and I see no love in your hearts except for each other there will be a curse on you and all that live in this castle." Picking up the rose, she continued, "If you both can learn to love another as you love each other and they return your love before the last petal falls the curse will be broken. If not you will both remain as you will be."

As she spoke the spell she had spun spread throughout Castle Whitespire transforming all who lived there into everyday objects. Eliot was the one exception as he instead transformed into a hideous beast.

~~~

"FUCK!" Margo screamed as she realized what she'd become.

"Oh Bambi, I just had the strangest dream." Eliot had collapsed into a sleep when the spell was cast and was only just waking up. His eyes went wide, "Why does my voice sound so weird? Bambi what's going on? Where are you?"

He looked around to where her voice was and couldn't help the laugh that escaped him.

"Oh yeah you think this is funny? Take a look at yourself!" She motioned to a mirror not far from him.

"Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!" He screamed, "Bambi, I'm horrifying! No one could ever love a hideous beast. We're doomed forever!"

"Hey no don't freak out! We're gonna figure this shit out and we'll be back to our old selves in no time."

~~~

The Witch of the Darkling Woods left the rose for him in a glass vase as she made her way back to her cottage. She cast a second spell on the villagers as she made her way back to her home, so that they’d forgotten the Prince and his trusted advisor. It worked so very well.

~~~

Ten long years had passed since the curse had been cast that night by the Witch of the Darkling Woods and with each passing year another petal fell from the enchanted rose. With each year that passed Eliot grew more closed off and fell into a state of despair. Margo wasn’t much better off. For the first two years she’d tried to keep a cool head and come up with a plan for them all because she was not going to live the rest of her life as a teapot, but after a while it got harder. Eliot spent long nights cuddling a teapot which to anyone else would seem rather odd. The castle had become a dark and gloomy place as the years went on. All the servants and his advisors just spent the days trying to pass the time hoping one day someone would come and break the curse.


	2. a young man named quentin coldwater

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry the updates have taken so long! I had the second chapter mostly finished, but had to focus on MHHE and then I lost a little idea of what I wanted to do in this, but it's coming along and so here it is. Hope you like it.

In the village that lived under Whitespire’s shadow was a young man named Quentin Coldwater. In a small cottage on the outskirts of the town he lived with his father Theodore. They’d moved here after his mother had left them when he was a small boy. He was thought of as peculiar by the other townspeople because his nose was always stuck in a book, but it didn’t bother him. He had his best friend Julia, his friend Alice, and his dad. 

Theodore Coldwater was a master of making wooden toys. He started when Quentin was young and soon started selling them at the fair in the neighboring town each year. It wasn’t a whole lot, but it was enough to keep them comfortable. 

Quentin wasn’t too bothered by how everyone thought of him. He could escape into a book and be free of all of their judgements. Alice; the bookkeeper’s daughter; always had a copy of his favorites put aside when they came in. Alice’s father had a nook in the bookshop that he, Julia and Alice would curl up in to read. He wondered sometimes if that’s how it started with Alice and Julia. He would look up from his book and see them exchanging glances or holding hands as he read to them. He loved them and he was happy for them, but he wanted that. Instead he had Mike to deal with. Ugh the most popular guy in town and yeah he was good looking, but he always gave a bad feeling in his gut. That creep Hyman was always running after Mike as well. Why did Mike have to want him? 

Mike had come home from the war a few months ago and had made it his sole purpose to marry him. There were plenty of other eligible guys in town. Why couldn’t Mike want one of them? Todd, why couldn’t Mike want Todd? 

~~~

“Curly Q, can you hand me that wrench"

"Oh, of course Dad" He answered, the request bringing him back to the world. He handed the wrench that lay by his side.

He had come into the shed under their home to check on his father. Ted had a habit of staying up all night when a new toy was being made.

"Dad, you need to get some sleep and maybe eat something."

"I know, I know. This wooden replica of the castle is almost finished. I just know it's going to catch the eye of a toy seller at the market. I want it to be perfect. Imagine if we got it into the shops in all of Fillory?" Ted's face lit up with those thoughts.

"It would be great Dad, but it's never gonna happen if you get sick from exhaustion before you can go."

"Okay, okay I'll finish up and go to bed. You go into town. I know you want some new books and our bread supply is low."

He kissed his father's cheek before heading out to the center of the village.

It was a beautiful morning as he walked the path towards the center of all the action. The birds were chirping and there was a soft breeze echoing through the trees. 

Some of the townsfolk were already out and about as he made his way to the Baker, the butcher, and the grocer. They looked at with those judging eyes that they always had. Like all the rest of the days he paid them no mind and proceeded to the place that held his heart.

"Took you long enough," Julia said as she greeted him with a hug.

"Well, I had to help dad out and then get a few things." 

"Oh good you're here! We just got that book back in." Alice exclaimed excitedly running to hug him. 

"You mean the book? The one that i keep asking your dad to order again?"

She nodded in affirmation.

He smiled as she pulled him over to his favorite section; fantasy; and pulled the book off the shelf. 

Clutching it to his side, he moved to leave. 

“You’re not leaving already?”

“Yeah, I’m sorry Jules. My dad needs me today before he leaves for the fair. I promise tomorrow after I see him off I will come hang out with you and Alice.”

“I will hold you to that.”

"Love you too Jules"

~~~

If only he had left the bookstore a few minutes earlier then he wouldn't have ran into Mike. But this was his life and of course he ran into Mike. 

Why Couldn’t Mike take the hint and leave him alone. How many refusals of marriage was enough for the guy to get the message Quentin didn’t want to marry him?

"Well hey there little Q." Mike teased with a little lilt in his voice, saddling up from behind and wrapping an arm around Quentin's shoulder.

He tried to shake loose of Mike's hold, but he was held tight by Mike’s large hand. 

"Listen Mike, I can't really chat right now. I kind of have to get home to help my dad.He’s leaving tomorrow morning for the fair and he needs my help." It was the truth, but also a good excuse to come in handy. 

"Quentin, dear if you accepted my proposal you wouldn't have to deal with your father. I could pay someone to be his assistant, or better yet we could put him in a home for the old."

"Yeah we could get you out of the awful situation Q. Who wants to help their old man right?" oh great Hyman was here too. 

"Mike, listen thanks really for the offer, but I'm good thanks. Really I mean it. I um I really don't want to marry you Mike." He tried to sound forceful.

"Quentin, you're just flustered. I'm sure you'll come around eventually. Come on Hyman let's go." Mike squeezed his shoulder once more before they left.

He shivered a little from the tension that left his body after they had gone. He really couldn’t stand Mike or Hyman. What was so special about him that Mike keep asking him? Was this all just a huge joke? He never saw Mike with any of the other single guys in the village, but he honestly had no idea what Mike saw in him.


End file.
